My 56 Bel Air has a 350 SB with the cheap steel chrome covers on it that l cannot get to seal even with the good Fel Pro gaskets. It also has a high rise intake manifold. I would like to get some nice aluminum covers but noticed that the previous owner had to grind away the top lip of the valve cover where it meets the intake manifold so it will meet the gasket. Not across the whole cover just where the tubes of the manifold go up to the carb.. Is that normal? Does anyone know of a set of valve covers that will fit this application without modifying them? http://s671.photobucket.com/albums/vv71/MCW66SS/?action=view&current=P2240029.jpg
Thanks!

Mark 66SS
http://s671.photobucket.com/albums/vv71/MCW66SS/?action=view&current=P7150072.jpg

In 40 plus years of playing around with small block chevys, I have never seen the intake runners sitting up above the cylinder head valve cover rail. That does not look right to me at all.

use the thickest cork gaskets you can find. forget the rubber with metal etc when using stamped steel valve covers, I found out the hard way myself lol.

I remember seeing that on some old sprint car engines years ago! My old boss had the motor out of his and i bought his M/T valve covers and they had been notched to clear the intake!
Heads milled down and a zero decked block maybe?

Cork gaskets and a tube of 3M Weatherstrip adhesive.

Mark,looking at the picture,There looks like a design flaw at the outside end of the intake runners.They should have been milled straight up to clear valve covers.Notice the little notch beside the water temp switch.It looks correct with the end of it milled straight up.The outer ends of the runners should be the same for you to use any valve cover you want.My $.02:cool:

What Cylinder heads and what intake manifold? I had to clearance my valve covers and use thick cork gaskets Due to using Pontiac 867 raised runner heads and raised runner intake manifold. From the picture it looks like the wrong intake for the cylinder heads.

Good luck
Ken

looka to me lkike the block and/or heads have been milled a bunch and the manifold milled to match.

What manifold is it?

I bought the car last spring. No idea what the heads are or the manifold. Any other suggestions? What about bonding a pair of gaskets together to clear the manifold?